The debate on equity and quality has dominated the healthcare sector today. Stakeholders in the healthcare sector are exploring modalities through which these two principles can be realized in service delivery (Banerjee, 2020). Currently, with the advances in disruptive technologies, there has been a growing interest in leveraging technology to achieve equity and quality healthcare services ( Purnell et al., 2016 ). Within the contexts of equity and quality, it is anticipated that using the mobile application to aid in healthcare service delivery is likely to enhance service delivery in healthcare.
Feasibility of the Initiative
Application of technology to healthcare service delivery is vital for optimized patient outcomes (Rawashdeh et al., 2018). It is anticipated that the development of the application is an approach that can be easily applied in healthcare interventions. The application is anticipated to run on Android-powered phones, which have permeated the rural areas and assuring situation affirming that the project is feasible. At the same time, the application is intended to run both online and offline as well. To support the online aspect of the program, the internet penetration both in the urban regions as well as the rural areas will be vital. The offline content configured to update automatically when the application is connected to the internet. Thus, in terms of infrastructure, it is anticipated that the existing infrastructures will support the application.
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Reliable power sources will be required to run the application. With the current penetration of power in the rural, it is anticipated that the viability of the project is not in doubt. In some areas, the mini solar power panels are crucial in the advancement of the project. The viability of this project, however, goes beyond the infrastructural support but also human resources. Moreover, the cost implications of the project dictate the feasibility of the project. In terms of human resources, there is a lot of skilled human capital capable of developing the application and maintaining it to meet the desired standards. The goodwill of healthcare personnel is an essential driver of the project; they view it as an avenue to complement their services.
Cost-benefit Considerations of the Project
The major cost in the development of the application is the fee for the developers. This capital investment is significant, considering the scope of the application. The application is expected to run both online and offline modes and integrate various interfaces to enhance the patient experience. The cost implication at the beginning of the project is thus anticipated to be quite significant. Apart from the developer fees at the beginning of the project, there is the question of maintenance. It is the onus of the developers to ensure that the application is, for instance, debugged continuously and updated to enhance the operability. It is equally anticipated that the collection of data relevant to the application would be a very costly affair. All these are pointers to significant initial capital investment.
On the other hand, the application will come handy in terms of the cost reduction of certain healthcare services. The use of the app is likely to reduce the workload of the healthcare workers significantly; this is in consideration of healthcare economics. Since the application will be developed in a manner that limits the interaction with the healthcare workers, it is anticipated that the healthcare workers shall have adequate time to address other healthcare needs. But other than the costs related to human resources in healthcare operations, the question of costs associated with information dissemination can be addressed through this app. Healthcare stakeholders spend vast sums of money on capital expenditures to be able to address the problem of STIs. The structure of ensuring that the relevant information regarding STIs reaches the intended population has hindered the intervention strategies for the problem (Htut et al., 2018). Quite a significant portion of expenses is directed towards disseminating information to the targeted populations regarding the prevention, management, and dangers of STIs. Either through the print media, digital media, or the use of the healthcare workforce, the costs are quite expensive. In this respect, the app comes with significant benefits in terms of healthcare information management.
Looking at the app from the perspective of data suggests that the application is likely to enhance healthcare outcomes. Since the app is meant to gather data regarding the prevention and care of STIs, it is anticipated that the app will benefit the public by disseminating critical information regarding the STIs to the public. It is a convenient way of ensuring that the target health population can access the relevant data required to address the problem of STIs.
Risk Factors and Mitigation Strategies for the Project
The application of emergent technologies in healthcare service delivery comes with immense risks. The risks emanate both from the users as well as the healthcare practitioners. In essence, it is prudent if the relevant risk mitigation factors are well developed to hedge the users from the risks associated with the application. This section discusses some of the risks anticipated and the modalities of mitigation.
Patient Safety and Concerns
The online app comes with various risks on patient safety. The data security risk is based on the notion that data or rather, the information contained therein will be pooled from various sources. Notably, pooling data from multiple sources comes with a significant risk of conflicting information. Such conflicting information from multiple sources would come with challenges in the application of the information in the management of STIs. It would be prudent for the stakeholders managing the app to filter the information contained in the app to mitigate the risk of data privacy. It would be relevant only to include the right information that is consistent with empirical pronouncements made regarding the STIs. At the same time, it would be vital for the developers to make a caveat that the app is only used for informational purposes; any other diagnosis ought to be done through the established health facilities.
Patient Data Security
There is a risk that comes with the privacy of the users of the application. One aspect of the application is that it offers the users an opportunity to sign up for these services. What this means is that there is a need for a more established framework through which the user data can be protected when using the service. The developers will be required to use the relevant encryptions and technological applications that ensure that the user information is secured as a methodology to mitigate this risk of data loss. At the same time, the developers, in collaboration with other stakeholders, will be required to come up with robust data protection policy guidelines. The approach is considered to be a sustainable approach in handling issues of patient data breaches that may arise in the development of the application.
References
Banerjee, A. (2020). Equity and quality of healthcare access: Where do we stand and the way forward?. Indian Journal of Community Medicine: Official Publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine , 45 (1), 4.
Htut, K. M., Mon, M. M., Aye, Z. M. & Ni, L. L. (2018). Young key affected population in Myanmar: are there any challenges in seeking information and care for HIV/sexually transmitted infections and reproductive health?. F1000Research , 7 .
Purnell, T. S., Calhoun, E. A., Golden, S. H., Halladay, J. R., Krok-Schoen, J. L., Appelhans, B. M., & Cooper, L. A. (2016). Achieving health equity: closing the gaps in health care disparities, interventions, and research. Health Affairs , 35 (8), 1410-1415.
Rawashdeh, M., Zamil, M. G. A., Hossain, M. S., Samarah, S., Amin, S. U., & Muhammad, G. (2018). Reliable service delivery in Tele-health care systems. Journal of Network and Computer Applications , 115 , 86-93.
